by Rae Hilhorst

Down Memory Lane, Primary School

A photo jogs your memory, the more you think about it, the more memories come flooding back. Then when others remind me of moments lost, hidden or forgotten, gratefully they come flooding back as well.

On seeing this photo, which motivated me to write the post Down Memory Lane, Primary School. It would have been about 1965.

Then when you start writing about those memories even more comes flooding back and I frantically write them down so they can be passed on and not taken away with me when I leave this life, a memory for my children. A bit like leaving your mark in the world isn’t it?

This is our winter uniform from Hill Top School, which unfortunately no longer exists ( the school that is ). It lived at the top of Blockhouse Bay Road, turn right at the roundabout and then about 300 metres along the road is where you would find the most beautiful school in all of Auckland, New Zealand. The address is 37 Heaphy Street Blockhouse Bay, was founded by Miss Phyllis Boult in 1915in the family home on Mangawhau Road, Newmarket. The school moved to the Heaphy Street site in 1959. Had a pool, large grounds, the most beautiful large flowing trees that left their leaves over the pathways, that you could run through before the garden man cleaned them up. My favourite part was when the wind would billow the leaves about and they float around in circles, I can almost smell it now. Remember Auckland is usually wet, so the leaves would stick to your shoes, think they were maple trees.

The administration building for Hill Top School

There was a wonderful fairy garden, wasn’t a designated fairy garden, we just made it that, you could hide and burrow in under the bushes which were sheltered by many large trees, there was room to sit in a circle and play. These are defiantly some of my fondest memories of growing up. The school later became a school for the disabled.

I have pride of place in this photo next to the best teacher ever, I think her name was Mrs Stevenson, There was of course some scandal and she departed the school as did I a few years later. Overhearing my parents there was some gossip, which I refuse to this day to believe.

Our winter uniform was that wonderful black gym slip, you know the ones with folds, (will try to find a photo) very unflattering, with a shirt and a blazer. Our summer uniform was a brown and white stripped dress, and a panama hat that had a brown ribbon around the base of the head. I am so hoping to get a photo, from someone somewhere. When next in Auckland I am going to be knocking on some doors.

Yes, this is a girls school. Looking at those girls I am wondering what happened to them.

There was:

Carolyn:The nicest girl I know, who had a lovely home. They fascinated me as they had a fish tank, which was all new to me, as I had never known such a thing existed, the tank had goldfish and guppy’s. Their last name was Guppy, I thought that was a funny coincidence. They had a very quiet home, I think from memory Caroline was an only child, she also had allergies.

Melanie:Her father was a pilot and her mother had her own potters wheel, which I often got to see her potting. I loved their house it was shaped like a banana, had an amazing rock faced fireplace, a large living room with plush carpet, I seem to remember there was floor boards somewhere. The neatest bathroom I had ever see, I so wanted to live here, they also had an expansive lawn. I had lunch there one day, with the whole family, mum, dad and the two brothers. I will never forget it as they had lambs tongue for lunch, which I just couldn’t bring myself to eat.

Karen:We were friends till the last day of school when she swung her bag around and punched me a fair whack in the stomach, winded me, don’t know why. So I don’t really care what happened to her. Only kidding, I would love to hear what happened to Karen and all the others I remember. I saw her mother many years later, who said she wished Karen was like me, (working) they must have had a barney, about karen working. I remember attending a birthday party at Karen’s and playing hide and seek, I got filthy, had on a Navy and Pink wide stripped winter dress, I hid somewhere that maybe I shouldn’t have, don’t think I was found. We had a lot of fun, that much I do remember.

One thing about these homes, they were all as neat as a pin. Mums didn’t work back in those days, they were or the majority were ( old fashioned housewives ) homemakers.